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Staff Picks Playlist: Covers

Acentric Magazine’s weekly Staff Picks Playlist are back and better than ever featuring the most enjoyed songs played throughout the week, chosen by yours truly. With this covers playlist, we hope to introduce you to sounds you’ve never heard before and create nostalgia for the tunes you do know.

This week we feature covers from Alex Aiono, Bastille, and Florence + the Machine. All songs are in a spotify playlist below.

“Controlla” by Alex AionoIf you are on YouTube often, you have probably heard of or seen one of Alex Aiono’s cover. He always puts a unique spin on a song whether it is mashing it up with another song or just changing up the beat a little bit. Controlla is originally by Drake off his latest album Views. (Camille Wilcher, Social Media Coordinator)

“Of The Night” by BastilleIf you ask me, Bastille are the kings of doing covers. Any song they choose to splash their style on turns out sounding amazing. But one of favorites (that is easily accessible on Spotify) has to be “Of The Night,” it’s a mashup of “The Rhythm of the Night” by Corona and “Rhythm is a Dancer” by Snap!. It’s featured on the second disk of All This Bad Blood, but originally appeared on Bastille’s first mixtape Other People’s Heartache (which by the way if you haven’t already heard OPH part I and II, I highly suggest you do some digging around on the internet to find them because they are pretty incredible) But back to “Of The Night,” it sounds a bit dark, and at the same time it makes you want to get up and have a solo dance party around your kitchen on a Friday night (I am totally speaking from experience here.) So stop reading this and go have a listen already!!(Kathryn Farley, Social Media Manager)

“Love Yourself” by The MaineThe Maine has always blown me away with not only their original material, but also with the various covers they’ve done over the years. Earlier in the summer, they released an EP of covers, with one of them being this cover of Justin Bieber’s hit “Love Yourself.” I have absolutely zero shame in admitting that the Bieber version of this song is a jam, but The Maine took it and really made it special. I love when bands really take a cover and make it their own and that’s exactly what The Maine did. They made this song their own in such a way that it almost causes you to elicit different emotions and feelings then the original song does. I think the music arrangement in this cover is really spot on and not only fits the lyrics well, but also fits perfectly into The Maine’s sound as a band. (Gina Scarpino, Photographer)

“All These Things That I’ve Done” by Lions LionsTo be truthful, I usually have a hard time with covers depending on how much I already love the original artist, but Lions Lions’ cover of The Killers is too good to even contemplate. The Boston-made band put the song on their EP “The Path We Take” in 2010, which was their latest release when I started listening to them. It’s a great upbeat cover with a bit of an edge, and I personally prefer this over the original. What I also love is that the cover truly embraces Lions Lions’ musical style, so much so that they’ve even played it live at some of their shows. (Jordyn Beschel, Lifestyle Photographer)

“Speakers” by Baylor Wilson If we’re being honest, I am not a Sam Hunt fan. But I have heard several covers of ‘Speakers’ and I must say, when I hear other people explore this song, I really enjoy it. I love the twist that Baylor Wilson puts on the song. She allows the song to go places I never thought it could go. It’s a raw cover filled with great emotion, and that’s why I love it so much more than the original. Baylor truly embraces the lyrics and makes sure she captures every word with emotion. (Kara Johnson, Writer)

“Hallelujah” by Matthew SchulerOriginally by Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah” is possibly one of the most covered songs to date, and a classic at that. To be quite honest, Jeff Buckley and Phil Wickham knocked their renditions out of the park. However, Matthew Schuyler’s version from The Voice perfectly melds my favorite parts of Buckley’s and Wickham’s covers into an almost flawless interpretation. It includes Buckley’s simplicity and eerie instrumentals, takes on Wickham’s vocal riffs and range, and exudes an overall passionate performance. More importantly, it ends with my all time favorite verse: “Even though it all went wrong, I’ll stand before the Lord of song with nothing on my tongue, but Hallelujah.” (Angelica Nicolle Abalos, Editor in Chief)

“If it Means A Lot to You” by Michael Henry & Justin RobinettThese guys have many amazing covers and I had a hard time choosing one to share. My sister-in-law shared one of their other covers with me and I instantly fell in love. They cover this already amazing A Day to Remember song, and uniquely remake it in their style. The song itself already has my heart, but this causes me to fall in love with it again. (Carly Evans, Copy Editor)

“Hospital Beds” by Florence + the MachineThis song has been one of my favorites for years. “Hospital Beds” was originally done by Cold War Kids, whom has been one of my favorite bands since high school. When I stumbled across this cover I could hardly believe it. Discovering that Florence + the Machine had reimagined it was one of the best things that could happen. She was able to transform this rock song into something magical. (Courtney Cook, Photographer)

“Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis PresleyThis is one of Elvis’ earlier songs, released in 1956 as a single that outlived the King himself, and one of the most iconic sounds of early rock ‘n roll in America. The song was written by a high school teacher and inspired by a real, unfortunate event. Naturally, a real Heartbreak Hotel exists near Graceland. (Melanie Kim, Lifestyle Photo Editor)

“Such Great Heights” by Iron + WineAcclaimed folk artist Iron + Wine strips this Postal Service classic down to its bare melodic bones, stretching out the song’s pop tempo into a more relaxed, indulgent river of sound. Iron + Wine’s acoustic guitar wraps the tune in a gentle quietness, building a sense of intimacy between artist and listener that I’ve found special since I first heard this cover.(Nina Calabretta, Copy Editor/Writer)